Love, Yuki Love, Kyo
by Oujo Hyatt
Summary: Yuki confesses his love for Tohru and she accepts him! Kyo invites Uo to the winter dance and sets Hana up with Haru! Pairings: YukixTohru, KyoxUo, HanaxHaru.
1. Do you love me?

Chapter 1: Do you love me?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba. Which stinks. I love Furuba! A/N: Thanks to Neko (kyou-chan-otaku) for helping me work on this chapter.  
  
It was another chilly December day, and it happened to be the week before Christmas.  
  
Tohru, Uo, and Hana walked through the Roppongi Hills shopping district, all looking for presents. They had already done some shopping (Uo got Kyo a "You lost at Dai-Hin-Min, so you suck." Plaque.), but needed other gifts. Uo and Hana paused in front of a glass display window of an American bookstore.

"My brother said he wants some of these." Said Hana, gesticulating at a pile of flimsy looking magazines with superheroes on the front.

"He wants steroid magazines?" asked Uo.

"I think he said they were called comics."

"What are they about?"

"They have plots and storylines," butted in Tohru," That one's called Superman, that one is Justice League, and that one's Batman."

..................Blah blah blah blah blah....Elapsed time..................................

"How would you know this?" asked Uo.

"She does live in an all male household, stupid." Said Hana.

"Who're you calling stupid?"

"You. How could you forget that your best friend lives in an entirely testosterone-poisoned home?"

"Ummm...I dunno."

"Um, guys? I have to be home soon." Said Tohru, looking at her watch.

"We better get shopping then." Said Uo.

"Yes, good idea." Said Hana.

Their wallets much lighter, the girls headed home. When Tohru got home, she found Yuki sitting on the front steps.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi Tohru." Said Yuki.

"What's wrong? Aren't you cold?"

"No, I'm ok, but I was wondering..." Yuki paused. "Do you love me?"

"Yes, of course."

"I mean in _that _way."

"Yes."

"Good, because I want you to be my...my...girlfriend."

Tohru, who in any essence had already placed her bags on the porch when she saw Yuki sitting there, ran over to him and hugged him.

"Of course I will!" she said.

Yuki smiled and pulled a small box out of his back pocket, opened it, and saw the "T" necklace he had bought earlier that week. He opened the clasp on it, placed it around Tohru's neck, and closed it.

"Does that mean "yes"?" he asked.

"Of course it does. But I have one question, why didn't you transform?"

"I know. You broke my curse. You love me. I won't transform now."

"But what about Haitori and Kana?"

"That is an entirely different story. She was a Sohma. He was a Sohma. You and I don't belong to the same family. That's what makes us different."

Tohru hugged him again.

"Let's go inside before it gets too cold."

"Yes. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Will you come to the School Christmas Ball with me?"

"Surely!" Tohru picked up her shopping bags and headed inside with Yuki.

"Can I tell Hana and Uo?"

"Of course, but not about the Sohma secret." He said, teasingly.

Yuki kissed Tohru on the cheek as they parted ways. Tohru turned redder than some of the bags she was holding. Once Tohru was in her bedroom, she set her bags down next to her dresser, and smiled as she booted up her laptop, a gift from Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo on her last birthday.(A/N: She has a MAC! W00! I'm crazy for Macs, but I don't have one ) Once her computer had booted up, she turned on iChat©, and got a message from Hana.

PsychicHana: Hi Tohru

OnigriGirl: Hi Hana! You'll never guess what happened when I got home!

PsychicHana: Hold on, let me open a chat.

Hana sent a chat invitation and Tohru accepted.

OnigriGirl: Hi all

BlondYankee: Tohru, what happened?? Did Orangey die?!

OnigriGirl: No, silly, Kyo-kun isn't dead

BlondYankee: darn

PsychicHana: What happened, then?

OnigriGirl: Yuki asked me out and I said yes.

BlondYankee: And...

OnigriGirl: and I'm going to theChristmas ball with him.

BlondYankee: Nice

PsychicHana: Yes, very cool.

OnigriGirl: hold on, Kyo-kun's online. Do you mind if I invite him in?

PsychicHana: No

BlondYankee: why not?

Kyo has entered room PsychicHana13798

DamnYuki16: what am I doing here, Honda-san?

OnigriGirl: You have to ask someone to the ball.

DamnYuki16: Oh, that.

PsychicHana: Not me, well, I, I'll go, but not with you.

DamnYuki16: Fine, since Honda-san is going with that damn Yuki and since I don't want to go with.... well anyways.

Kyo opened another box and addressed this one to Uo

DamnYuki16: Hi Yankee.  
  
BlondYankee: Hey, Orange top. Moping about your loss today?  
  
DamnYuki16: You cheated, ya damn Yankee!  
  
DamnYuki16: You were pulling all those cheap ass tricks!  
  
Sighing, Kyo deleted the come back he had ready and retyped his message.  
  
DamnYuki16: Look, I didn't IM you to start arguing...I wasn't thinking about that stupid card game, actually. I was just thinking about the Christmas ball...And, uh, well, I don't have anyone...to...um...go with....and uh...it'd be kinda stupid if I went by myself...  
  
DamnYuki16: And...er...You don't have someone to go with either...and it really would be kinda pointless if you went without a date...  
  
Uo stared at the screen stupidly. "Is he trying to...?"  
  
BlondYankee: Orange top, you're rambling.  
  
DamnYuki16: ...Um, is that...a yes?  
  
An ironic grin spread across the blonde-haired Yankee's face. Who would've thought that big, strong, I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone was so shy when asking someone out?  
  
Her grin lessened slightly. Was her response a yes?  
  
For some reason...she wanted to go...  
  
BlondYankee: Yeah.  
  
DamnYuki16: Alright!  
  
DamnYuki16: I mean...um...Now I don't have to deal with that damned Yuki all night.  
  
Smiling, Arisa Uotani shook her head, before a thought came to her.  
  
BlondYankee: Hey, Orange top, what about Hana?  
  
DamnYuki16: Leave that to me.  
  
BlondYankee: Orange top, are you suggesting that you're going to play match maker???? o.OOO  
  
DamnYuki16: No!! Kyo Sohma does not play matchmaker! I just...er...it would...suck for her to go alone...  
  
BlondYankee: Aww, there is compassion somewhere in Orange top's tiny head!  
  
BlondYankee: You better set her up with a good guy, 'cause if he hurts her, I'm going to kill you.  
  
Kyo gulped and gave a nervous laugh to no one in particular.  
  
DamnYuki16: I know what I'm doing, dammit!  
  
DamnYuki16: Anyway, I have to go call him. I'll pick you up at 7:15, ok?  
  
BlondYankee: Whatever.  
  
BlondYankee: See ya.  
  
Uo raised an eyebrow to herself as Kyo got offline. "Well, that was one thing I was not expecting..."


	2. Chapter 2: Who are you?

Chapter 2: Who are you?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba. Blah blah.

A/N: Okay, I messed up! It's supposed to be OnigiriGirl and Kyo calls her Tohru, not Honda-san. Now on with the show!  
  
It was Saturday, and Tohru, Hana, and Uo were in town looking for outfits to wear to the dance. Right now, they were at the Oi One building, (a Japanese version of Hot Topic) looking for Hana's dress.

"What about this one?" Hana said, holding up what looked like a raggedy, black velvet tablecloth.

Uo cocked her head with an uncertain look in her eyes.

"I don't know Hana-san, it looks a bit, I dunno, trashy."

Hana looked at the dress and put it down.

"How about this one?" asked Tohru, holding up a dress that looked Morticia Addams (The Addams Family) style. It was long with a pattern that looked like a spider web on it. It had long sleeves that flared out at the end and had black satin ribbons on the wrists and collar.

"I think I'll try that one on." said Hana.

"You'll look like Spider-Queen, if you ask me." Uo replied with a smirk.

Despite Uo's comment, Hana still bought the dress  
  
Tohru stopped in front of a store window, some two blocks away and looked at a platinum skirt, with a grey and purple top.

"Wow, look at that outfit." she said.

"Hey Tohru, that'd look great on you." said Hana.

"Yeah, you should go try it on," said Uo, looking distractedly at another outfit in the window, "and I think I'll try that one on."

Tohru bought the outfit, and Uo got a dress that was navy blue with silver stitching.

"Now what?" asked Hana, as they left the shop.

"How about lunch?!" suggested Tohru.

"I could go for some lunch, but where?"

"How about there?" said Uo, pointing at a sidewalk café across the street.  
  
They crossed the street with great difficulty, finally managing to get to the café.  
  
When they had finished eating, they left the café. They walked, just looking at boutique windows until,

"Hey guys! Look who it is!"

Kyo, Shigure, Yuki, and Haru were walking out of a men's boutique (clothing ) on the opposite side of the street.

"Hey! Yuki! Kyo! Shigure!" Tohru shouted, jumping up and down while waving her hands in the air.

Yuki pointed across the street and waved, smiling.

"C'mon guys! " Tohru said, grabbing Hana and Uo's wrists and pulling them to the crosswalk.

"Hi Tohru" Yuki said, hugging her, and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"High school girls, high school girls." was all that Shigure managed to say, before Kyo hit him on the forehead.

"Uotani-san," Kyo said, bowing," This is Hanajima-san's date for the dance."

"Hello," said Haru, holding out his hand, which Hana shook," I'm Hatsuharu Sohma."

"I'm Saki Hanajima, pleased to meet you."  
  
It was Sunday. Tohru was up, as usual, preparing breakfast for the household.

"Today is Sunday," she muttered to herself, "which means that it's PANCAKE DAY!"

Tohru got out all her pancake supplies and had begun whisking the batter when Yuki walked into the kitchen, hair tousled and rubbing his eyes.

"Morning sleepyhead!" said Tohru, cheerfully. She knew that never failed to get Yuki up.

"Good morning, Tohru," he said groggily," How did you sleep"

"Very well, and you?"

"I slept alright." Tohru had gone back to making pancakes by now, so Yuki sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

It was quiet for a few minutes, then: "Good morning all!" Shigure had appeared in the doorway, hair combed neatly and already dressed.

Yuki mumbled a "good morning" and Tohru turned around with a platter of pancakes and bacon, saying:

"Good morning, Shigure-san!"

Shigure sat down at the table with a mug of tea and picked up the daily newspaper. There was a creaking outside the kitchen and Kyo walked in, hair spiky and eyes squinted. He managed to stumble to the table and sit down, just as Tohru plunked the platter of pancakes down next to the orange juice. They ate in silence for a few minutes until:

"I think I have something to confess." It was Kyo.

The rest of the table turned their heads inquisitively to stare at him, then:

" I think I love Uotani-san."

Tohru's eyes widened, Yuki dropped his fork, and Shigure proclaimed: "HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS!"

Kyo slapped Shigure on the back of the head, causing him to spew tea all over his newspaper. "OMIGOSH! Are you okay?!" shrieked Tohru, jumping up.

"Yes, quite fine, but I'm afraid the paper isn't." said Shigure, with a laugh.

While Tohru threw out the newspaper, Shigure left the room and Yuki asked:

"Why do you love Uotani-san, Kyo?"

"Well, despite the fact that she's beaten me at Dai-Him- Min, she's a really nice person. She's smart, helpful, and has always seemed to be around."

"Aww ! You two would make such a kawaii couple." blurted out Tohru from next to the garbage can.

"You should probably tell her at the dance," said Yuki, with a sly smile, "Y'know, as a Christmas gift."

"That would be so sweet!"

"I think I will." Kyo, said with a determined air.

It was 2 P.M. and Yuki and Tohru were at the market.

"What should we have for Christmas dinner?" Tohru asked.

"How about Kobe Beef?" Yuki suggested.

"Oh yes! And we can have leeks and some sticky rice with it."

"I know Kyo will love the leeks." Yuki said.

"Oh he will! I have a special Christmas leek casserole recipe that will make him think it's not leeks."

"Excellent."  
  
Tohru was preparing dinner that night when,

"Hey Tohru, come look at this!"

Tohru ran from the kitchen and into the living room where Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure sat on the couch, watching the news.

"And our weather with meteorologist, Tatsu Yaki."

"Thank you, Hakara-san. If you'll look at this folks, we have a mass snowstorm headed our way. It is said to be bringing over a foot of snow to the Tokyo area, so get prepared folks! The storm center says it should hit tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh gosh!" said Tohru.

"I guess we'll have to stock up and cover the garden tomorrow morning." Yuki said.

"I'll go to the market in the morning."

"Can I come along?"

"Sure, I can always use a hand with the groceries."  
  
Tohru and Yuki were up early the next morning, intent on getting to the market.

"I'm sure glad that you volunteered to come along with me." Tohru said, walking closer to Yuki.

"Anything to help out my little Tohru." he said, smiling, putting his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to him.

"So what do we need to stock up on?" Tohru asked.

"Batteries, , water, tea, candles, and matches." Yuki ticked off each one on his fingers.

It was beginning to snow...


	3. Chapter 3: Storm

Chapter 3: Storm

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Furuba, the Sohma family, Tohru, Uo, or Hana.

A/N: It gets fluffily at the end, so if you're not a fluff person, read and when fluff comes up, you can stop.  
  
By the time Yuki and Tohru got to the market, the sparse snowflakes had turned into a flurry. Both of them raced through the market, collecting the necessary supplies, and dropping them in the basket Tohru was clutching.  
  
When they had finished paying for their supplies, they began the journey home. Yuki pulled Tohru closer to him, placing his head on hers.  
  
They walked through the snow, saying nothing, but thinking about everything.  
It was mid-afternoon and the snow hadn't stopped. It still came down, hard as ever, coating the Earth in a powdery, white blanket. Tohru and Yuki sat in Tohru's room, watching the snow.  
  
"What does snow become?" asked Tohru.

"It becomes water, of course."

"No, it becomes spring."

"Let me guess, Haitori?"

"Yup."

They sat in silence, just watching the snow.  
  
Meanwhile, Kyo sat on his computer, talking to Uo.  
  
DamnYuki16: Hi Yankee.

BlondYankee: Hi Orange-top.'

DamnYuki16: uhhh....I...I have something to tell you...but I can't tell you now.  
  
Uo stared at the screen thinking, "Oh Christ, what's he gonna tell me?"  
  
BlondYankee: Tell me!

DamnYuki16: No I can't. I can't tell you until the dance.

BlondYankee: You're blubbering.

DamnYuki16: I know.  
  
Kyo stared at what he had just written. Should he tell her now? Or should he wait until at the dance?  
  
BlondYankee: You like me don't you?

DamnYuki16: Uhhh...I guess you could put it that way....

BlondYankee: Ha! I was right! There is compassion in that small red-head of yours.

DamnYuki16: Oh shush.

BlondYankee: So you were gonna wait until the dance to tell me, weren't you?

DamnYuki16: Yeah.  
  
Kyo blushed. He had never felt this way about a girl before, not even Tohru.  
  
Uo was a bit flustered. She did kind of like him back. He was cute and always had some jackass response. A small smile flickered across her face. Should she tell him that she liked him too?  
  
BlondYankee: Um, well, I kinda like you too.  
  
Kyo's face went redder than a tomato. Even though she called him a stupid bastard, she liked him.

"She's the first normal person who actually likes me. And she's not Kagura! She won't maul me!" he said to nobody imparticular.  
  
"What was that?" Shigure stuck his head in the door.

"The Yankee likes me too!"

"HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS!"

Kyo got out of his seat and slammed the door on Shigure's head

"The pervert." he muttered to himself.

Upstairs, Tohru had fallen asleep in Yuki's arms.

"She's so peaceful when she sleeps." Yuki said, pulling Tohru's hair away from her face.  
  
It was six p.m., Tohru was up and making a dinner of miso soup and rice cakes.  
  
Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki were all sitting in the living room, watching the weather forecast.  
  
Tohru heard the TV click off, and heard Shigure say:

"Great, more snow tomorrow."

"It's not as bad as it could be. We could have hail destroy the house, again." said Yuki, with a slight chuckle.

"Dinner's ready!" Tohru called from the kitchen.

She placed a steaming bowl in front of each chair and put a plate of rice cakes in the middle of the table, along with a pot of green tea.

It was Tuesday, and Tohru was up making breakfast. As she bustled around the kitchen, the snow began to build up in the windowsills. Yuki was the first one (apart from Tohru) to arrive in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Yuki!" Tohru said with a cheerful smile.

Yuki came up behind Tohru and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Morning Tohru." he whispered in her ear. Tohru giggled and checked the rice cooker.

"So, what's for breakfast today?"

"Rice, boiled eggs, and toast."

"That sounds good!" It was Shigure. His hair was combed and he was holding a copy of the daily newspaper.

"You'd better be careful with that newspaper today, Shigure!" Tohru said, waggling her finger.

"I'll be sure not to sit next to Kyo today!"

"And not say anything dumb or perverted for that matter." Muttered Yuki.

Kyo stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later. He sat down just as Tohru put a bowl of rice in front of each seat, a bowl of eggs in the middle, and a plate of toast in the center of the table.

"This is delicious, Tohru!" said Shigure, through a mouthful of toast.

"Yes, very delicious, Tohru." complimented Yuki. Tohru turned red. She had never been complimented on breakfast before.

"If you think this is delicious, wait until Christmas." she said, still rather flustered.

Yuki and Tohru were back in Tohru's room. This time, Yuki fell asleep first. Tohru got off the bed, gently, so as not to wake him, and got a blanket from the linens closet in the hall. She tiptoed back into the room and sat back down on the bed, covering Yuki and herself with the blanket. She drifted off to sleep....

She was walking through the park with Yuki. It was a warm, sunny day. They were holding hands. All was peaceful. They stopped and sat down on a bench. Tohru noticed that she was in a graduation outfit. 'How odd,' the dreaming Tohru thought, "I still have one more year of school to go.' But at the moment, this didn't matter; Yuki was down on one knee and was holding a box out to her. It showed a lovely diamond engagement ring.

"Tohru, I love you, and I always have, and always will. Will you marry me?"

"Oh Yuki! Of course I will!" She jumped off the bench and hugged him. He placed the ring on her left ring finger. The diamond sparkled in the sunlight. Tohru felt the greatest rush of joy. She was going to be Mrs. Yuki Sohma...

Tohru started.Yuki had woken up, causing her to wake up as well.

"I'm so sorry Tohru, did I wake you?"

"No, no, it's okay."

"Can I ask you a question? I know it's kinda informal, but, will you marry me?"

"Oh Yuki!!! Of course I will!"

"I know we should wait for a bit before we have the serious engagement, but I was wondering, so I can get permission in advance from Akito."

"Oh Yuki! You're the best." She glomped him so hard that they fell back onto the bed.

"What are you two doing?" Shigure asked from the doorway.

"Ummm....nothing..." Tohru said, blushing.

"Nothing? It sure doesn't look like nothing."

"Oh Shigure, you know we just took a nap."

"Oh right. I was thinking of doing that myself." Shigure wandered down the hall.

Tohru and Yuki laughed. They knew Shigure suspected them, but they didn't care.


	4. Chapter 4: Lucky

Chapter 4: Lucky

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket = Not mine. Nothing. Nothing is mine. I have artistic license. I don't own this.

A/N: Fluffy! Kind of toward the end, kissing.  
  
Tohru felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Yuki asked her, Tohru Honda, to marry him.

"Can I try my hand at making dinner tonight?" Yuki asked, picking Tohru up off the bed and carrying her to the stairs.

"Sure, why not? It's only you and I tonight. Kyo ate already, and Shigure is taking a nap."

So Yuki tried his hand at making dinner, and with some help from Tohru, he managed to make bamboo rice and yellowtail teriyaki.

"This is delicious, Yuki." said Tohru, taking a bite of the yellowtail.

"Yeah, it's alright, but I think you're the best cook here."

Yuki was still a bit red from Tohru's compliment. It was usually Shigure or Tohru who cooked, but Yuki had never cooked before.  
  
Wednesday morning dawned, the ground white and the sky grey. Tohru got up earlier than usual and sat with her mother's picture, looking out the window.

"Hey Mom, Yuki asked me to marry him yesterday. I said yes. It's unofficial of course, and I feel so lucky. I love him with all my heart and he loves me too. What should I do, mom?"

_"Just be yourself Tohru. You are a special person. Someday, someone will love you for who you are...."_

"Thanks mom! Great advice!"

Tohru hugged her mother's picture and set it back down on her desk. She grabbed her robe and slippers and tiptoed out her bedroom door. She tiptoed across the hall and quietly opened the door to Yuki's room. He was still asleep. Tohru shut the door quietly and walked downstairs. She knew it was still too early to start breakfast. The others wouldn't be up for another hour.

She sat, looking out the kitchen window until the sound of footsteps outside the kitchen caught her attention. She started and turned around in her chair. Nobody was up at this hour. She was surprised when she saw Yuki standing in the doorway.

"Oh I'm soo sorry! I haven't made breakfast yet! I didn't know that you would be up so soon! Ohhh I'm soooo sorry!!!" Tohru apologized.

"It's ok, Tohru. I don't mind." Yuki said, hugging Tohru.

"But I'm so sorry for not having breakfast ready."

"How about we get dressed and I take you out to breakfast?"

"Oh that would be wonderful." squealed Tohru.

"And don't worry about Shigure and Kyo. I'm writing a note telling them where we are."

"Oh! Tell them that there are leftovers in the fridge! All they have to do is heat them up on high for three minutes in the microwave."

When Yuki had finished writing the note, he and Tohru ran upstairs and got dressed.

Five minutes later, Yuki and Tohru were walking down the path into the city.

"I'm glad we covered the secret base in November, otherwise we won't have leeks and strawberries in the spring." said Tohru.

Yuki smiled and nodded. He was glad that they had covered it.

"What's wrong, Yuki? Did I say something?!"

"Oh no, it isn't your fault, I just have a lot on my mind today."

"Ok." Yuki moved closer to Tohru and grabbed her hand. Tohru giggled. Yuki made her so happy and she made him so happy. She had never seen him so broadly before she moved in with the Sohmas. Before she knew of his existence from all the dumb fan girls, but had never talked to him. But now, he had asked her to marry him.

"I feel so lucky to love you." she said, squeezing his hand.

"You are lucky, and so am I. You are truly the most wonderful girl in the world."

Tohru went scarlet. She had never been told this by anyone but her mother. Her mother told her every day, that they were both lucky, because they had each other.

By the time Yuki and Tohru got to the café, Shigure and Kyo had woken up. They staggered downstairs, hoping to find a hot breakfast awaiting them, were sadly disappointed to find a note taped to the fridge, telling them that they would have to eat leftovers. They prepared the leftovers as Tohru had instructed, and ate them. They weren't as good as Tohru's home cooking, but it was food, they would survive.

When Tohru and Yuki finished breakfast, they walked to the park.

"So why do you have to ask Akito if we can marry? I broke your curse, so you're free now, right?" asked Tohru.

"Although you broke my curse, I am still a Sohma. I must ask Akito's permission to marry an outsider. I'm sorry." he said.

"It's not your fault. But I want to come with you. I want Shigure and Haitori to go inside with you. You know, just in case..." she trailed off.

"Ok, but I want you to stay outside. I'll have Momiji and Kisa with you. I don't want you getting hurt like the last time we were there."

"Alright, but I don't want you to get hurt either."

Yuki pulled Tohru closer to himself. She looked up at him and he looked down at her. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Yuki began to move closer and closer to Tohru.

"I love you."

They kissed, the snow coming down around them in a swirl.  
  
The snow fell steadily through the afternoon. Tohru sat in the living room, reading a series novel by her favourite author, Hayasaki Miatori. Yuki had gone to get them some afternoon tea. Kyo and Shigure were both busy. Kyo was shut up in his room doing god-knows- what, and Shigure was working on his manuscripts (A/N: FINALLY! LOL.) after a frantic call from his editor.

"I'm back." Yuki said, standing in the doorway with a tea tray.

Tohru put down her book and walked towards Yuki. She took the tea tray from his hands and put it down on the coffee table. Tohru and Yuki both picked up cups of tea and sat down on the couch facing the window. They drank their tea in silence, not wanting to disturb the peace. The phone rang, disturbing the peaceful silence. It had obviously been picked up because there were no other rings in the house after that. Tohru had obviously zoned, because she had not even started when the phone rang.

"Uhhh...Tohru." Yuki said, waving his hand in front of her face.

She started. Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki were all sitting in the living room. Tohru wondered why they were all here. Maybe something had happened.

Shigure opened his mouth and said in almost a half-whisper,

"Akito has died."


	5. Chapter 5: Shock

Chapter 5: Shock

Disclaimer: Not mine. Nothing is mine. Not Furuba, nothing.  
  
Tohru ran upstairs, tears streaming down her face, and Shigure's words resounding in her head. She opened the door to her room and sat down on her bed, crying. She didn't even notice when Yuki opened the door and sat down next to her.

"Tohru, it's okay."

"How can it be okay?! He's dead. He seemed so healthy last time we went to visit him," Tohru choked out through muffled sobs.

"The last time we visited him was last spring. His condition changed dramatically since then. "

"What was wrong with him? Besides the fact that he was born to ..."

"Akito was born to die and was burdened with all the curses. He couldn't change that. He was constantly sick, not only physically, but mentally as well. Nothing Haitori said or did could cure him."

"So, so, how did he die?"

"He had been sick for about a month, then he caught a cold from one of the Sohmas up at the main house. He got weak, too weak to live, and ordered Haitori to put him out of his misery, and well, Haitori did. But he did mention, "Yuki sighed," That he wants you to marry a Sohma, any Sohma, so I guess we have permission."

Tohru threw herself on top of Yuki and cried into his shoulder with a smile on her face. Akito had died, it was true, but he had given them permission to marry.

Yuki spent the night with Tohru, comforting her and letting her sleep.

"I'm so sorry for having you go through this," Yuki whispered before letting Tohru drift off to sleep.

"It's not your fault," Tohru said, a bit groggy.

Her eyes were red from crying. Yuki felt guilt in the pit of his stomach, but had no idea what it was for. He knew he was being selfish, hogging Tohru, but how would Hana and Uo respond to the death of someone they didn't even know, but their best friend did?

By eight p.m., Tohru and Yuki were both asleep on Tohru's bed. Yuki was having a flashback dream. Yuki was sitting in a dark corner with Akito standing over him. They were young and Akito was holding something that looked like a whip.

"You think you can defy me? Do you? Do you," Akito said.

Akito raised the whip.

Yuki woke up, covered in a cold sweat. Tohru was still asleep.

"You're an angel," Yuki murmured, gently pulling back some strands of hair from her face.  
  
Thursday dawned, grey as ever.

Tohru had fallen asleep in Yuki's arms.

Tohru woke up. She had been dreaming about Yuki. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over, intent on getting out of bed, but shrieked when she saw Yuki lying next to her. Yuki jumped, surprised by Tohru's scream.

"Tohru! I'm so sorry! I just watched you sleep to make sure that I was here to comfort you if you cried again and I must've drifted off myself."

"Oh it's alright," said Tohru, clutching at her chest, "I just got scared."

"I can understand, it must be hard for you to digest that you shared a bed with your boyfriend."

Tohru, who in any case, was still in shock, smiled feebly and nodded.

Shigure poked his head in the door.

"Is everything okay in here? I was about to shower when I..."

He stopped speaking, noticing Tohru and Yuki in the bed.

"If you so much as even think what I know you're thinking, I swear I will smash that perverted head of yours in with a rock," Yuki said defensively.

Shigure's eyes widened and he quickly walked away from the room.

"Thanks," Tohru said with a slight smile.

"You're welcome, my love," Yuki said, kissing Tohru on the forehead.

"I should probably get dressed and start breakfast," Tohru mumbled sleepily.

"Good idea. I think I'll take a hot shower and then come down for breakfast."

So, Tohru dressed and hurried downstairs to start breakfast. By the time Yuki and Shigure had come downstairs, Tohru had prepared a breakfast of miso soup and rice.

When they were seated, Tohru looked around, realizing something was wrong.

"Where's Kyo?"

"He's probably still in his room, you can go get him if you like," Shigure said, munching on some rice.

Tohru went upstairs and knocked on Kyo's door.

"Kyo? Are you there? Breakfast is ready," she said.

"Come in, Tohru," Kyo said.

Tohru opened the door. Kyo was sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.

"What's wrong, Kyo?"

"Nothing, but I want to ask you something. Come here," Kyo said, patting the desk.

Tohru walked over and sat down on the desk. She was nervous. Did Kyo want her for something?

"Tohru," he started, "I have a question."

"Okay."

"Do you," he was cut off by Yuki opening the door.

"Tohru," he said, shocked.

"Yuki," Tohru ran over and hugged her boyfriend.

"What're you here for," Kyo asked, aggravated.

"I came to get my girlfriend, and you, for breakfast."

"I don't feel like eating today. I wanted to ask Tohru something about her friend."

"Alright, but don't do anything stupid."

Yuki let go of Tohru, "I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, I'll be down in a sec," she said.

Yuki left the room, closing the door behind him. Kyo waited until Yuki's footsteps couldn't be heard. Tohru sat down on the bed.

"You wanted to ask me about Uo?"

"Yeah," there was an awkward pause, "Um, l was wondering, I wanted to get your permission first since she's you're friend."

"You want to ask her out," Tohru cut the rest of Kyo's sentence off.

"Yeah," said Kyo, looking down at his feet, "was I being predictable?"

"Yes, and I know she likes you back, so go ahead. That way if you two end up married," a dreamy expression came over Tohru's face, "Uo and I will be cousins in law-in law. I think?"

"Whatever, but I'm not jumping into marriage yet. I haven't even asked her out."

"But what about Kagura?"

"Kagura knows I don't love her. She's my cousin and she's two years older than me. She thinks that I love her because we played together when we were young."

"Are you going to tell Uo about the curse?"

"I might. I'll have the perverted dog check with someone up at the main house about it."

"Alright, I'm going downstairs to have breakfast."

"Wait."

Tohru paused, her hand on the doorknob. Kyo walked over to her and ruffled her hair.

"Thanks. You know, you really are something."  
  
When Tohru had finished eating and taken her shower, she went back to her room and searched for accessories to go with her outfit for the Christmas ball. When she had finally found a pair of silver earrings and grey silk gloves, she sat down on her bed. She was uninterrupted for some time, until someone knocked on her door.

"You have visitors," Shigure said from the other side of the door.

"Okay, I'll be right there." She said.

Tohru got up from her bed and walked downstairs. When she got downstairs, she saw Uo and Hana standing in the hallway.

"What're you guys doing here," she asked.

"We decided that you needed a visit," Uo said.

"And here we are," Hana finished.

Tohru walked over and hugged her two best friends.

Kyo came downstairs at that very moment. His eyes widened at the sight of his crush. She was smiling. The Yankee was smiling, not in a sarcastic sense, but happily.

Then she noticed Kyo, luckily Tohru was leading Hana into the kitchen for lunch. Uo came closer to Kyo.

"I had no idea you were coming," he said.

"I wouldn't have expected you to," she said with a laugh, "You're not the psychic one."

"Well, um," Kyo looked up; Uo had come closer to him.

"I was going to go have lunch," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

"That's actually what I was heading to myself," he said, smiling.

When they had all finished a delicious lunch of Onigiri and Gyoza (dumplings), Kyo invited Uo upstairs and Hana, Yuki, and Tohru cleaned up.

While the others washed dishes, Kyo and Uo sat in his bedroom and talked. After a few minutes of talk, Uo got up and walked over to the window.

"You know what," she said, "I think you're a really special person, Orange top."

"Well, you're kind of special, too, Yankee," he said smirking.

He walked over and stood next to Uo. She turned to face him. He looked inquisitively at her. She was smiling. He smirked, her words echoing in his head.

Kyo zoned, he obviously zoned enough that Uo was able to grab Kyo's hand without him noticing. Kyo came to his senses and looked down. He saw Uo's hand on his. He began to sweat. He had never held hands like this before. It was actually the first time in many years that he had allowed anyone to do this. But Uo's nerve was obviously pretty strong, seeing as they weren't even going out. Kyo allowed it, as long as she didn't try to hug him, he was okay. He leaned towards her and laced his fingers with hers.

"You know, um, well," he started. Uo looked at him inquisitively. "Would you want to, well I doubt you would, but, do you want to go out with me?"

"Um," she looked at her feet, considering.

Kyo's heart sank; she was going to say no. She would never want to go out with him. Why had he even bothered to ask?

"Okay," she said, "I'll give you a shot."

"Alright! Now I, well," he shouted, his heart back in its normal place, "I'll be right back."

Kyo walked across the room, a new spring in his step. He opened the door and went downstairs to Shigure's office.

"Hey dog," he said, flinging open the door.

Shigure looked up, "Yes?"

"Can you call the main house and ask if I can tell someone about the curse, because, well, they might hug me?"

"Hold on, I was actually about to do that when you came in."

Shigure picked up the telephone on his desk and dialed ten numbers on it.

"Hello, Hatori, I know you must be very busy right now, but I have a question to ask you," Shigure paused, obviously listening to Hatori , "Alright, here goes, Kyo wants to tell someone outside of the household about the curse, is that alright," Shigure paused again, "Ok, I'll tell him," Shigure covered the mouthpiece and nodded.

Kyo closed the door and ran upstairs. He arrived in his room to find Uo sitting on his bed. She turned to face him when he shut the door.

"Hi, um," he stuttered, should he do it?

"Hi."

"Um, I have something to tell you," he walked over and sat down on the bed next to her, he took a deep breath," My family, it has a curse. We turn into the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac when we're hugged by a member of the opposite gender who is not a member of the twelve. I am the thirteenth. Hug me."

Uo hugged him, puzzled. Kyo transformed in her arms.

"You're the cat? Yes, I know the story, Kyoko used to tell us about it."

Kyo put his head on her shoulder. She petted him gently. He purred contently. His girlfriend was ok with him, she accepted him. There was a poof and a cloud of smoke filled the room. Uo was shocked. A naked Kyo was sitting on her lap. She hid her eyes while he got dressed.

"You didn't warn me about that, damnitt," she said.

"I'm sorry, I was just so happy that you accepted me that I forgot to tell you."

Uo laughed, "It's alright, I was just shocked."

Kyo sat back down next to her on the bed, blushing.

"I love you, Yankee."

He kissed her on the forehead. Uo looked dumbfounded, rubbing the spot where Kyo kissed her, as if not sure what had just happened. The door opened. Yuki, Tohru, and Hana stood there, looking at the couple. Kyo and Uo turned to look and gave a sigh of relief.

"I sensed an energy wave from this room," Hana said, surveying the room.

"Umm...I can explain," Kyo started.

"No need, I'm a psychic, did you forget that? I know you kissed Arisa on the forehead."

Kyo's eyes widened, Uo blushed furiously, Tohru clasped her hands, and Yuki put his head in his hands.

"Umm...Yeah...That sounds....about right," Kyo said, stuttering.

Uo blinked, still in shock, "Um yeah, he did."

Tohru and Yuki stood in the doorway and Hana stood in the middle of the room.

Nobody said anything for a good five minutes until, "I have an idea! I'll be right back! Meet me in the living room!"

Tohru ran out and went into her room to fetch her Dai-Hin-Min cards. When she reached the living room, she was delighted to find that everyone was sitting around the table.

"It's Dai-Hin-Min time," she exclaimed joyfully.

They dealt the cards and began the game. This time Uo and Kyo didn't fight. They sat next to each other and their fingers were laced under the table. Hana won after twenty minutes of playing.

Tohru sprung up, "Does everyone want tea?"

Everyone nodded in consent. Tohru returned five minutes later, carrying a tea tray.

They drank in silence until, "We have something to announce."

It was Yuki. The others all turned their heads towards he and Tohru who were sitting next to each other at the end of the table. Tohru was beaming and blushing and Yuki had a satisfied smile on his face.

"Are you going to say," asked Hana.

Yuki took a deep breath then, "Tohru and I are unofficially engaged."

Kyo looked taken aback, Uo blinked in shock,(A/N: Gee, she's having a hard day, isn't she?) and Hana burst into tears.

"I told you I could see our little Tohru as a new bride," Hana sniffed.

Uo was still too shocked to say anything, then, "I wasn't expecting that."  
  
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, unless you count the fact that Ayame showed up at around five p.m. carrying a bag of gifts for the household. After an explanation to her friends that Ayame was Yuki's older brother and designed clothes, Ayame shoved a garment bag under her nose and insisted that she try it on.

"It's for the New Year's party, this will make you fit in perfectly," he said.

Tohru ran upstairs and got changed, then walked back downstairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the others gasped. Tohru was wearing a pink kimono with a matching pink headband that had many silky ribbons spouting out the top of it.

"My, my, Tohru, you look wonderful," Ayame shouted, obviously pleased with his work," How does it feel?"

"It feels wonderful," Tohru said, twirling around.

"You look lovely, Tohru," said Yuki, hugging his girlfriend.

"It's a lovely dress, what was your name again," said Uo.

"My name is Ayame."

"It's a lovely dress, yes, but what is it for? It's surely not for school," said Hana, looking at Ayame

. "It is for the family New Year's party up at the main house," said Kyo, "I don't go, but I might this year, if you would like to come with me."

"I would love to," said Uo, "But what should I wear?"

"Oh come down to my shop tomorrow," said Ayame handing business cards to Hana and Uo.

"Alright, but I don't have anyone to go with," said Hana.

"Who's your date for the Christmas ball," asked Ayame.

"Some Hatsuharu Sohma, I know he goes to school with us, but he's a year younger," she was cut off.

"Oh don't worry, I know him! I'll tell him that you want to go to the ball," said Ayame with a wave of his hand.

"Oh you don't have to."

"But I would love to!"

"Alright..."

"So are you both coming tomorrow," Ayame asked.

Hana and Uo nodded, not wanting to be impolite to a person that they had just met.

"Wonderful! Now I have a present for my younger brother," said Ayame, shoving a box into Yuki's hands, "And something for the hot tempered one," he shoved a bag into Kyo's hands, "And one for Shigure. Now where is he?"

"Aya," Shigure's head poked out of his office door.

"There you are," Ayame cried," I have something for you as well," he shoved a box into Shigure's hands.

"For me," Shigure said, surprised.

"Yes, for you."

"Why thank you!"

"Um, I think we'll be taking our leave now," said Uo, looking away from the two men. "Goodbye then," said Tohru, waving.

"I'll see you later, ok," said Kyo, as he gave Uo a pat on the head.

"Bye," said Yuki, waving.

"Goodbye all," said Hana, and she and Uo walked out the front door.

Hana and Uo walked down the path leading into the city for a few minutes before, "Kyo is a real softie," said Uo.

"He is? I always saw him as a tough guy."

"No, he kissed my forehead today. I think he actually cares about me."

"Really? Even though you called him a stupid bastard more than your fair share of times?"

"Yeah, really. I'm actually reconsidering that present I got him. Maybe I'll sell it online and get him a book or something. I noticed a lot of martial arts books in his room."

"That would be a good idea."

They walked in silence the rest of the way home, only saying goodbye when they reached Uo's house.

Hana looked down at the business card that the Ayame character had given her. It gave the location and time of her fitting the next day.

"Well, I guess I'm getting another dress," she said to nobody.


	6. Chapter 6: Introductions

Chapter 6: Introductions

Disclaimer: Not mine, well you should all know this by now, but I'm just telling you, again.

A/N: My superbly long chapter rocked last time, right? Well, this one will be about 2/3 of the size of Chapter 5, but I promise I will try to write a Five thousand word (or as many as I can use) chapter for the dance! Ok? Now on with the show!  
  
Friday morning came, sky still grey and ground still white. Two members of the Sohma household were up early. One sat at a desk, many pieces of paper crumpled at his side, pencil shavings in the waste bin beside him, the other in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for the house.

Tohru hurried around the kitchen, collecting ingredients for omelets, and Ayame sat at Shigure's desk, drawing kimonos for Hana and Uo which were to be worn to the Sohma New Year's party.

Just as Tohru finished putting breakfast out, Ayame appeared in the doorway, flourishing a rather large piece of paper from his right hand.

"I finished it," Ayame cried.

"Finished what? And why are you still here," Kyo asked, a forkful of eggs paused in midair, halfway to his mouth.

"The designs for Miss Honda's friends' kimonos," Ayame exclaimed, plopping the paper down in the middle of the table.

It showed two kimonos. One was dark purple with silver stitching, and the other was black with hot purple stitching.

"This one is for the blonde one," Ayame said, his finger on the purple kimono.

"Oh, I'm sure Uo-Chan will love that," squealed Tohru, peering curiously over Yuki's shoulder.

"And this one," Ayame moved his finger to the black kimono," is for the dark haired one."

"Oh! I think that suits Hana perfectly and it's in her color, too," said Tohru, now sitting next to Yuki.

"Would you three all like to come to the shop today," Ayame asked, looking at Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki in turn with a pleading expression on his face.

"I would love too," said Tohru enthusiastically, looking at Yuki and Kyo with the same pleading face Ayame had on a minute ago.

"I'll come," said Yuki," But only to make sure that this moron," he pointed at Ayame, "Doesn't do anything stupid to Tohru or her friends."

"I guess I'll come. I mean, the Yankee will be there and I kinda want to see her again," said Kyo.

"Excellent," squealed Ayame, causing him to get very odd looks from the rest of the table.

"Do. Not .Do. That. Again," said Yuki, looking daggers at his brother.

Ayame scurried out of the kitchen without another word.

By eight a.m., Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru were all sitting in Ayame's shop watching him pull fabrics and sewing supplies down from the shelves in the shop.  
  
Nine o'clock came and it brought Uo and Hana to the shop. When the bells on the front door jingled, Tohru sprung to her feet and raced to greet them, almost trampling Ayame, who was picking up a bolt of black silk, in the process.

"Hi guys," she said enthusiastically, hugging her friends in turn.

"Hi Tohru," said Hana.

"Hey kiddo," said Uo, looking over Tohru's shoulder at Kyo, who waved.

She waved back, smiling.

"Ah, excellent," said Ayame, almost unrecognizable from behind his pile of fabrics, thread, and needles.

"You remember Ayame, I think," Tohru said, looking at her friends with a smile.

"Yep. I couldn't forget someone with white hair who was wearing a dress, said Uo, a sarcastic smile creeping across her face.

"Indeed," Hana agreed, nodding at Ayame.

"Um Tohru," said Ayame, "My assistant isn't here today, so I was wondering if you'd like to pull on one of the dresses and help out?"

"Oh! I'd love to! Let me find one, and I'll be right back," Tohru said enthusiastically.

So, Tohru picked out a blue and white maid's outfit, and returned to the front of the shop where Ayame was showing his design ideas to Uo and Hana.

When Hana and Uo had their measurements taken, they sat down on the couch next to Kyo.

"Hey Yankee," said Kyo, putting his arm around Uo. She leaned her head on his shoulder, watching Ayame and Tohru work on her kimono.

After about two hours, Uo's kimono was finished. It was twice as lovely in real life as it was in the drawing Ayame had shown them.

"You can try it on now," Ayame said to Uo, unzipping the back if the kimono and gently lifting it off the mannequin.

He handed the kimono and the matching headpiece to Uo and shooed her into the dressing room. They waited in silence for a few minutes before Uo came out, dressed from head to toe in purple. It accented the blonde in her hair very well.

Kyo stared at her, speechless. Tohru clapped. Her friend looked excellent in the kimono. Uo twirled around, looking at the kimono from all angles in the mirror next to the dressing room.

"I like it," she said, "How much do I owe..."

"Oh you don't owe a thing," Ayame said, cutting Uo's last few words off, "Nor do you," he said, looking at Hana.

Hana looked taken aback, and then said, "Why don't we owe you anything? These are custom-made. Surely we owe you something."

"Nope, these are gifts for the both of you, and nothing either of you says will change my mind," Ayame said defiantly, now starting on Hana's kimono.

Uo changed back out of the kimono and hung it on a rack by Ayame's desk, and sat back down next to Kyo. He put his arm around her again. She did not protest. She actually liked this. She knew that some guys could be jerks, but Kyo was different. He was kind and cared, no matter what his exterior showed.

By the time Hana's kimono was finished and she had tried it on, it was one thirty.

They bid Ayame goodbye and left his shop, heading for home.

"Um... Do you mind if I walk you home," Kyo asked Uo.

"No, I don't. It would actually be great, that way you can meet my parents," she said with a smile.

"Um...alright, I guess."

"Don't worry! They aren't aliens or monsters; actually they're quite the opposite. They'll probably love you."

Kyo gulped, nervous about his first encounter with Uo's parents. What would they be like? Would they accept him?

"Can you please not tell them about the curse?"

"I won't. I have enough common sense to keep that to myself."

They walked down a street that was lined with brick-front townhouses and turned down a path that was marked 61 Osiko Drive.

Kyo followed Uo up the front steps and watched her unlock the door. She opened the front door to a nice front hallway. It had many cherry wood pieces and some expensive looking artwork.

"You can go into the living room. I'll go get my parents and put my kimono away," Uo said.

"Alright," Kyo said, still amazed by all the expensive looking material in the house.

He walked into the next room and sat down on a couch that looked as though it had been molded out of plaster. Luckily, it wasn't. It was actually quite comfortable.

Uo trundled downstairs a few minutes later, two people who must be her parents behind her. Kyo jumped up, hands at his side, and bowed as Uo and her parents entered the room.

"You must be Kyo," said the blond woman who was undoubtedly Uo's mother. She had the same wavy blond hair and dark grey eyes as her daughter, "I'm Asari Uotani."

"I'm Kyo Sohma, pleased to meet you," he said shaking her hand.

"And I'm Kigiri Uotani," said the grey haired man next to her, shaking Kyo's hand.

Kyo bowed, "So pleased to meet you Uotani-san."

Uo's father let go of Kyo's hand and sat in a chair across from the couch and motioned for Kyo to do the same. Kyo backed down onto the couch he had been sitting on before. Uo put her hand on his. Kyo gulped.

"Arisa has told us all about you," said Uo's mother, looking at Kyo.

"Really," Kyo glanced at Uo, and then directed his attention back to her parents, "Is that a good thing ?"

Uo's father laughed jovially, "Of course it is, son, why wouldn't it be?"

Kyo gave a nervous laugh. Uo smiled at him.

The conversation between the four lasted for an hour, ending with Uo's parents inviting him to have dinner with them. Kyo agreed.

"Do you mind if I use your phone, Uotani-san? I have to call home and tell them I won't be home for dinner," Kyo asked politely, directing this at Uo's father.

"Go right ahead, there's a phone in the hallway. Meanwhile, I'll start dinner."

Kyo walked into the hallway and spotted a white telephone on the wall. He picked it up and dialed the ten numbers for Shigure's house.

Shigure picked up the other end on the second ring.

"Shigure Sohma speaking."

"Shigure, it's Kyo, I'm at the Yankee's house," he said in a whisper, " tell Tohru I won't be home for dinner."

"Alright. I guess I'll see you later then."

Shigure hung up.

Kyo put the phone back on the cradle and went back into the living room where Uo was sitting.

"You want to go upstairs and see my room," Uo asked, standing up.

"Sure, why not," Kyo said, turning and following Uo across the living room and up the stairs.

He noticed many pictures of Uo as a child and some family pictures that lined the wall on the way up the stairs. They reached the second floor landing and made an immediate left turn. Uo opened the door to what Kyo presumed was her room. She led him inside. The walls were painted a dark blue and there was sparse furniture in the room. A solitary desk sat in a corner, a laptop closed on top of it. Uo's bed sat in the center of the room, three pillows and a duvet on top of it. A closet was directly across from the bed, it was open, revealing her school uniform and other assorted items of clothing.

"This," Uo flung her arm out in a manner that suggested she didn't care, "Is my room. Kind of boring, eh?"

"Not really. My room is worse," he said, laughing.

"I guess I can't argue with that, can I?"

They sat down on her bed. Uo put her hand on his again. Kyo looked her square in the eye. She really did have some nerve. She hugged him. He hugged her, and transformed. Uo petted Kyo. He was so happy and he knew that she was happy, too.

He sat in her arms for five minutes before, poof! Kyo was sitting in Uo's lap, completely naked.

"Oh, god, please warn me next time you're going to do that," said Uo, covering her eyes while Kyo got dressed.

There were footsteps on the stairs; Kyo threw his shirt on hastily.

"Arisa, dinner's ready."

"Alright mom, be there in a minute."

Dinner passed in a flurry of conversation, mostly about the new school year. When they had finished dinner and cleaned up, Kyo decided to leave. Uo followed him to the front door.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow night," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, I'll be here at 7:15 to pick you up," Kyo said, pulling on his jacket.

"7:15? But the dance doesn't start until 9," Uo said, confused.

"I wanted to take you out to dinner with the others before the dance."

"Alright, so I will see you at 7:15."

"Yup," Kyo leaned down and kissed Uo gently on the lips, "See you tomorrow," he said with a wave.

He opened the door, walked out, closed it, and began to walk home. It was flurrying. Kyo looked up at the snowflakes.

'Maybe I should take a bus,' he thought, wearily.


	7. Chapter 7: I’m Sorry

Chapter 7: I'm Sorry

Disclaimer: Ok, you all know the drill; this isn't mine blah blah blah.

A/N: The new editing system here is being stupid and I left out a quote (thanks to the Neko editor) and used the wrong to when Tohru said she wanted to go to Aya's shop. I also used the lyrics for "Broken" By Seether and Amy Lee in this chapter. Now, on with the show!

Kyo walked for a block before stopping at a bus stop and waiting for the next bus.

He reminisced on the evening.

He had kissed another girl. He had kissed Tohru before, when he had been her boyfriend. They had loved mutually and the breakup had been mutual as well.

--Flashback--

"Kyo," Tohru's voice drifted up from the ground.

"Yeah," Kyo had said, looking down from his position on the roof.

"Can I come up," she asked.

He nodded. He heard her climb up the rungs of the ladder and he reached out his hands to pull her up. She had grabbed them and walked shakily to where he was sitting. She sat down next to him and looked him straight in the eye,

"Do you love me, Kyo?"

He had looked at her and saw that her eyes were full of tears.

Brushing them away he said,

"Of course I do."

They had sat in silence for five minutes before Kyo had felt a slight pressure on his shoulder. He looked and saw Tohru's head on his shoulder. He lifted her chin up and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Kyo, I, I don't know," she had said, tears running down her face.

"About what," he asked, looking dumbfounded.

"About us."

He felt as though he had been slapped in the face. The girl he loved might be telling him that she didn't love him.

"What're you talking about?"

"I don't know if I love you."

"I know I love you."

"We should..."

"Probably. I love you, Tohru. I'll miss you," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

She climbed back down the ladder, leaving a disappointed Kyo in her wake.

--Present time--

The bus rolled up and opened its doors. A few businessmen ambled out of the bus, no doubt headed for home. Kyo waited until they were all off, then boarded. He plunked 100 Yen down in the box at the front and took a seat near the door. The bus had been traveling for fifteen minutes before he knew where he was. He had one mile to go. He also knew that there was a bus stop right near the path that led back to the house. When the bus came to a halt, Kyo walked off, starting his journey home.

Kyo arrived at the house fifteen minutes later, to find Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru all sitting in the living room playing Go-Moku (a traditional Japanese board game similar to tic-tac-toe).

"Ah, Kyo, how was dinner," Shigure asked, moving his black piece in front of Yuki's white piece, blocking his next move.

"It was...pretty good," Kyo said with a smile.

And without another word, he walked upstairs, leaving a mysterious silence in his wake.

Upstairs, Kyo turned on his computer and decided to see if Uo was online. She was. A window popped open the second he got on.

BlondYankee: Hi!

Kyo raised an eyebrow. She had never said hi to him like that before.

"She must be remembering, too," he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

DamnYuki16: Hey

BlondYankee: Thanks for coming over tonight, I had a great time.

Kyo smiled, he had a great time as well.  
DamnYuki16: Thanks for inviting me over.

BlondYankee: I can tell my parents really liked you, judging by the fact that my father called you 'son'.

DamnYuki16: Does he do that often?

BlondYankee: No, actually he's never done that before.

Kyo stared at the screen, smiling. He really was special.

Meanwhile, Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure were sitting on the couch in the living room. Tohru and Yuki were watching the evening news and Shigure was rereading his manuscript, checking for typos and grammar mistakes.

"Well, it looks like we're going to have a white Christmas this year," Yuki said, turning off the television and hugging Tohru to his shoulder.

"Really? How much snow are we supposed to get," Shigure asked, looking up from his manuscript.

"Six inches by Sunday morning," Yuki replied, a grim expression creeping across his face.

"That's not too bad, you know," Shigure said, pen raised a few inches above his manuscript, about to make a correction.

"I think I'll go up to bed," Tohru said from Yuki's shoulder.

"I'll come up with you," Yuki said, standing up and pulling Tohru to her feet after him.

"Goodnight, then," Shigure said to the couple.

Tohru and Yuki walked upstairs together. Yuki kissed Tohru on the cheek and they both went into their rooms.

Saturday morning came, sky grey as ever and colder than the previous week. Tohru was up early making muffins for breakfast. (A/N: They're blueberry!)

She had just put the basket of muffins on the table with butter when Kyo walked in.

"You're up early today, Kyo," Tohru said, plunking the butter dish down next to the basket.

"I really do love her," Kyo said, picking a muffin out of the basket.

"Love who?"

"The Yankee. I kissed her yesterday."

Tohru's eyes widened and she almost dropped the container of orange juice she was holding.

"You kissed Uo?"

"I just said that, didn't I," Kyo said, swallowing some muffin.

"Good morning everyone," Shigure said from the doorway.

Shigure sat down at the table with a mug of hot tea and grabbed a muffin out of the basket.

"You seem to be in a good mood today, Kyo," Shigure said, sipping his tea.

"Of course I'm in a good mood, I kissed," Kyo stopped, realizing what he had just said.

"You kissed? Who," asked Shigure, tilting his head at Kyo.

"Who did I go to visit last night," Kyo asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"You kissed Tohru's friend," Shigure yelped.

"Yes, you dumb dog, I did. I thought you knew that I love her," Kyo said, taking another bite of his muffin.

Yuki walked into the kitchen and sat down next to Tohru.

They ate their breakfast in silence. When they had finished, Tohru and Yuki cleaned up, Shigure went to the post office to mail his manuscript to his editor, and Kyo sat at the kitchen table.  
"Hey Tohru," Kyo said, standing up, "Can you call the Psychic and let her know that we're picking her up at 7 to go to dinner with us before the dance?"

"Sure, but where are we going to eat and how are we going to pick her up," Tohru asked, turning around.

"I was thinking we could eat at that new French restaurant in the Tokyo Bay area and I have arranged a limousine service to pick everyone up. Hatsuharu will be here around five, we'll get dressed, then the limousine will be here at around six forty five to pick us up, then we'll collect everyone and go to the restaurant," Kyo said.

He had obviously planned this in advance because he seemed to know what he was talking about.

"So, what's the name of the restaurant we'll be eating at," Tohru asked, wiping her hands off on the towel by the sink.

"Club NYX. It's pretty upscale, luckily I managed to get reservations a few weeks ago," Kyo said, smiling.

"Club NYX?! Do you know how expensive that is," Tohru shouted, eyes widening.

"Don't worry, that dumb dog paid for it already," Kyo replied, waving his hand as though Tohru had said something stupid.

"Well, you might want to be a little nicer to him then," Yuki said, drying off the last dish and placing it in the cabinet above his head.

"He said he would do it, I didn't suggest it."

"But you might want to be a bit nicer to him; I mean he's letting you live here, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but he's still a pervert."

"True."

Tohru ran over and hugged both of them. Yuki hugged her back, but Kyo transformed with a poof and suddenly, Tohru was hugging Kyo's cat form.

"I'm so proud of you two," she squealed.

"For what? What did we do," Yuki asked, confused.

"You agreed on something for once," Tohru said, hugging them still tighter.

There was a poof and a cloud of smoke filled the kitchen. Kyo stood, naked in the middle of the kitchen. Tohru ran from the kitchen, dragging Yuki with her.

Kyo redressed and headed upstairs. It would be seven and a half hours before Hatsuharu arrived. Kyo had no idea what he was going to do for seven and a half hours.

He had just reached the second landing when Yuki came out of his room.

"Do you know if we have any wrapping paper in this house," Yuki asked, looking around as though he was hoping some would pop out of the wall.

"I don't think so," Kyo said, realizing that as he said it, he hadn't bought presents for anyone, "But I still have to get presents."

Yuki looked taken aback, then said, "You should probably get them soon, otherwise you'll have to get up really early tomorrow."

"Thanks for the advice, you damn rat."

"Hey, at least I got presents for everybody in advance. It isn't my fault you forgot."

"Alright, I'll go to town and get some."

Kyo closed the door to his room as he heard Yuki's footsteps on the stairs. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten presents, not that he had ever given them before. He grabbed his coat out of his closet and went back downstairs.

"I'm going to town," he said, hoping that someone would hear him.

He walked out the front door and closed it behind him. He walked downtown today, seeing as buses didn't run on holiday weekends. He pushed through the crowd of last minute holiday shoppers, all looking for that perfect gift at the last minute.

'I guess I shouldn't be so critical, seeing as I'm one of them.' He thought .

It was three fifteen by the time he had bought all his presents. He got a snack from a convenience store by the train station and began his walk home.

He arrived home at three forty and decided to wrap the presents he had bought.

He pulled Tohru's present, a silver picture frame with her name on it, out of a bag and placed it in a box and wrapped it up in a blue and gold wrapping paper.

By the time he had finished wrapping gifts, it was four thirty.

"I'd better take a shower before Haru gets here," he said, standing up and walking to his door.

After he had showered and redressed, he went into his room and changed into the tuxedo he had rented for the night.

The rest of the household had finished showering by five thirty and was waiting downstairs at six thirty.

"What are we going to do for the next fifteen minutes," Yuki asked, looking around at everyone. His arm was around Tohru's shoulder. He was wearing a white suit jacket and black pants with a black shirt. Haru sported a black tuxedo, and Kyo wore a gray sport coat and black pants with a red tie.

They sat in silence for fifteen minutes before they heard the crunch of tires on gravel. As tough they were telecommunicating, the group stood up and walked out to the limo, calling their goodbyes to Shigure as they left.

"Have a good time, kids," Shigure shouted, sticking his head out his office door.

Yuki held Tohru's hand as they walked out to the limo and sat down next to her when they got in.

When Tohru had given the driver directions to Hana and Uo's houses, the limo moved out of their driveway and onto the main road, leading to town.

They arrived at Hana's house fifteen minutes later. Tohru got out and ran to the door. It only took a few seconds for Hana to come to the door. They walked back down the path leading from Hana's front door to the street. They opened the door to the limo and got in.

"Hello, "Hana said, taking a seat next to Haru and gazing at everyone in turn.

They rode to Uo's in an awkward silence until,

"Tohru, do you mind if I get Uo," Kyo asked.

"I don't mind at all,' she said, her head on Yuki's shoulder.

"It appears that someone has a crush on a Yan-kee," Haru teased

"Shut up, you stupid cow!"

"Cow, you say? He does rather remind me of a cow," Hana said, gazing intently at Haru.

The limousine stopped, and Kyo got out, closing the door behind him, leaving the silence from Hana's comment behind him. He walked up the path to Uo's house, making sure his tie was straight. Upon arrival at her front door, he rang the doorbell. He could hear her say goodbye to her parents and open the front door.

Kyo, who had been looking at the garden beside the pathway, looked up when he heard the front door close. He looked up and felt his jaw drop to the ground.

Uo was standing in the doorway sporting a navy blue knee length dress and knee-high boots. (A/N: this is in honor of my pal Oni who has a set of boots like this and a dress kinda like that, except for the fact that's it's a green-ish khaki material. )

"Hi," she said, waving at Kyo who was still dumbstruck.

"You look, you look, fabulous ," he managed to spit out.

"Thanks, you clean up pretty nice yourself" she said, smiling.

They walked to the limo and Kyo opened the door, allowing Uo to go in first. When they were both seated and Kyo had told the driver where to go, Hana directed her attention to Uo.

"Doesn't he," she pointed her finger at Haru, who was looking out the window, "Remind you of a cow?"

"He kinda does, especially the hair."

"Hey! Look! It's Shigure," Tohru shouted, pointing at a black dog on the side of the road.

The rest of the group looked at her like she was insane.

"Oh! I thought I," Uo began.

Kyo put a hand over her mouth.

"Not you, too," he groaned.

The rest of the ride to the restaurant was uneventful, unless you count that Kyo looked out the window every minute, a paranoid expression on his face.

They arrived at the restaurant at seven thirty.

When they had all piled out of the limousine and Kyo told the driver that they would be ready in an hour and fifteen minutes, they walked into the restaurant.

A man in a tux was standing behind a mahogany podium.

"Welcome to T'suki, featuring the regional cuisine of Europe," he said, " what is your last name?"

"Sohma, "Kyo answered.

The man checked the list, then,

"This way, please."

The man led them through a door on the left and into a large room. It was magnificent. The tables were a rich colored wood with upholstered chairs grouped around them. The maître'd led them to a table by the window that had six chairs grouped around it.

When they had all been seated, the maître'd handed out menus and left.

They were all perusing the menu when their waiter, a woman in her mid twenties with her brown hair tied back in a bun, came to get their drink orders. They decided to get a bottle of San Pellegrino and split it amongst themselves. The waitress returned a few minutes later, a bottle of it and six crystal glasses perched precariously on a tray that she was carrying above her head. She placed a glass in front of each one of them.

"What can I get you to eat," she asked, looking hopefully around at the group.

They all gave their orders, the waitress scribbling them down on her pad.

When she walked away, Hana turned to Haru and started badgering him with questions. Uo and Kyo were talking casually about martial arts. Tohru felt Yuki's hand brush against hers. She took hold of it, squeezing it gently. Yuki smiled at her, and she smiled back, a small flush illuminating her cheeks before gently subsiding.

Meanwhile, Hana and Haru were discussing his hair color, or shall we say colors.

"Are you sure that you're a two color person," Hana said, plucking a white hair from Haru's scalp.

"I was born this way, I never dyed my hair. Ow! That hurt!"

Hana had plucked one of Haru's black hairs and was now comparing it to the white hair she plucked a few minutes prior.

"Interesting," she muttered, and then turning her attention to Haru, she said, "Are you bipolar? I sense some waves that are similar to bipolarity coming from you."

"Umm...you might be able to put it that way," Haru said, looking Hana straight in the eye, "Now enough of me, let's talk about you."

Tohru turned her attention away from Hana and Haru to see what Uo and Kyo were discussing.

"And then I punched him right in the gut," Uo finished.

"Was this when you were in a gang," Kyo asked, looking interested.

"Yeah, those were the days, not that I'm not having fun now," Uo said, looking at Tohru and Hana with a smile on her face.

"I remember when I was in a gang," Kyo started.

"You were never in a gang, unless you count the time when you and I tried to kick Shigure," Haru butted in.

"That must've been funny," Uo said through stifled laughter.

"It was," Yuki said, " It was at the New Year's Party and we were around six, and well, Shigure was being stupid, as always, and these two," Yuki said, motioning at Haru and Kyo, "Decided to kick Shigure, but they failed because Shigure found out and he and Ayame decided to chase them into the courtyard as punishment."

By this time, the whole table, with the exception of Kyo and Haru, were in fits of hysterical laughter.

Their food came at eight and by the time they were done, it was eight thirty. They paid the check and walked out onto the porch that overlooked Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. It was beautiful. The lights on the bridge were reflected in the bay and cast a shimmering light onto the deck. They gazed out at the bay for ten minutes, then walked out to the front of the building where the limo was waiting.

They piled into the limo and Kyo gave the driver directions to their school.

They rode in a sort of peaceful silence to school. They arrived at the school, slightly late, but there nonetheless.

When the limo had pulled away, the group began the walk to the school. Tohru, Uo, and Hana had all linked arms with their respective dates, and once inside the building, were greeted with shocked expressions. The Yuki fan club stalked by the group huffily, but quickly out of fear of what Hana might do to them if they commented on Tohru and Yuki.

"If they give you any trouble," Hana said to Tohru, "Make sure to call me over. I'll beeeeep them with electro-poison waves."

"Um...ok," Tohru said, eyes wide.

"It's alright, Hanajima, I'll deal with them," Yuki said, putting his arm around Tohru's shoulder.

They walked into the gymnasium, which now was unrecognizable. The walls were draped in a sparkling white substance, fake silver and white snowflakes hung in garlands around the room, and a row of white chars had been arranged along the back wall for those who were tired of dancing or could not dance. A DJ had attracted a small crowd of dancers at the far end of the room and groups of students chatted in little clusters around the room.

"Um, Tohru, would you like to dance with me," Yuki asked, looking down at her, a smile on his face.

"Sure, but I should warn you that I have two left feet, "she said, giggling.

They walked over to the dance floor. Several girls commentated on Yuki's tux and how he was with Tohru, but they ignored it. When they had reached the dance floor, Yuki pulled Tohru closer to himself and put his arms around her neck, after placing hers on his shoulders. They swung to the music for a bit, then Yuki twirled Tohru around with one hand, catching her when she almost fell over.

After about twenty minutes of dancing, Tohru sat down while Yuki got them some drinks.

"Hey kiddo, how was dancing," Uo asked, looking at Tohru.

"Fun, but I really do have two left feet," she said, fanning herself with her hand.

"We were watching you. For a person with two left feet, you did pretty well."

"Thanks," Tohru said, taking a cup of punch from Yuki who had just returned, "You're a really good dancer."

"Well, I have danced at the New Year's party before," He said, going red.

"Yuuuukiiii-kuuuunnn!!"

A dark haired girl walked towards them, an evil smile on her face

"Uh-oh," Yuki said under his breath.

Hana stood up and glared at the girl. But the girl didn't seem to mind, she just walked towards Yuki and Tohru.

"Yuki-kun, why are you with her," the girl said, gesturing at Tohru.

"Tohru is my girlfriend, Mai, you're not," Yuki calmly explained.

"Yeah, you heard what he said, now bug off before I have to beeeeep you with electro-poison waves," Hana said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Mai's eyes widened at the prospect of being beeped with electro-poison waves.

She ran out of the room as fast as she could.

"Thank you, Hanajima," Yuki said, his hand on Tohru's shoulder.

Tohru looked up,

"Thank you, Hana-Chan, I'm glad that I have friends like you," she said, smiling.

The group meandered to the dance floor. "Broken" was playing.

**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh**

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away**

"Tohru," Yuki whispered in her ear, "I do love the way you laugh and I want to

steal your pain away. I'm sorry if I have ever caused you pain."

**I keep your photograph I know it serves me well**

**I wanna hold you high and steal your pain**

Kyo put his head on Uo's and danced slowly. He thought of Tohru and her picture that was residing on his desk. It served him well, he didn't deserve her, after what he had put her through.

**'cause I'm broken when I'm open**

**And I don't feel like I am strong enough**

**'cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome**

**And I don't feel light when you're gone away**

Haru took Hana to the side of the dance floor. She looked at him with a puzzling expression.

"I don't know if you would ever consider this, but," He started ," Would you be willing to go out with me?"

"Sure, I'll give bipolar freaks a try," she said, eyes alight with interest.

**The worst is over now and we can breathe again**

**I wanna hold You high and steal your pain**

"Tohru, I'll be right back," Yuki said.

"Alright," Tohru said, walking over to Uo, who was alone, Kyo had walked to the side with Yuki.

**There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight **

"I'm sorry, Kyo," Yuki apologized, looking at the floor.

"It isn't your fault. I'm sorry, too. If I had the common sense to restrain my anger, things wouldn't be the way they are now," Kyo looked Yuki square in the eye as he said this.

"Friends," Yuki asked, his hand outstretched.

"Yeah," Kyo said, shaking it.

**I wanna hold You high and steal your pain**

**'cause I'm broken when I'm open**

**and I don't feel like I am strong enough 'cause I'm broken when I'm**

**lonesome**

"Did you and Kyo apologize," Tohru asked, when Yuki had returned to her side.

"Yeah, we're not going to fight anymore," Yuki said, pulling Tohru in front of him so they could dance.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, taking hold of his hand.

**and I don't feel right when you're gone away 'cause I'm broken**

**when I'm open**

**and I don't feel like I am strong enough**

**'cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome**

**and I don't feel light when you're gone away**

"Tohru, you are the light in my life," Yuki said, brushing Tohru's hair out of her face.


	8. Chapter 8: Happy Christmas

Chapter 8: Happy Christmas

Disclaimer: Not mine. Blah.

A/N: Wow, I have nothing to say, for once (smiles).

The ground had been coated in a blanket of thick snow by Sunday morning and the residents of the Sohma household were sleeping in. Well, most of its residents. Tohru Honda was up early, preparing breakfast as usual. Although she usually prepared pancakes on Sunday mornings, the fact that it was Christmas changed everything. Tohru was awake at six, just to prepare the meal. It consisted of Kobe beef, Sticky rice, Christmas leek casserole, chocolate cake, and a large pot of miso soup. It was particularly large because the members of the Chinese Zodiac, Uo, and Hana were coming that afternoon for the exchange of gifts and Christmas feast.

Tohru was just stirring the pot of miso soup when Yuki walked in, tousle haired and squinty eyed.

"Happy Christmas, Tohru," he said, coming up behind her and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"And a Happy Christmas, to you as well, Yuki," she said, turning around to face him.

She was greeted with a tight hug that made her blush. Kyo walked in and seemed to ignore the fact that they were hugging. He walked to the fridge and grabbed the container of milk from it.

"And a Happy Christmas to you, too," Yuki said, looking at Kyo.

"Wha," Kyo said, surprised.

"Silly Kyo must've been sleepwalking," Tohru said, laughing.

"Umm, I probably was," Kyo said, blushing.

"Well, sleepwalking is supposed to be a good sign," Tohru said cheerfully.

"Happy Christmas Everyone," Shigure shouted from the doorway.

He sported a Father Christmas hat and two different socks. His right foot had a red sock and his left foot looked like it had grown an even coating of moss.

"Um, Shigure, your socks don't match," Tohru said through stifled laughter.

"I did that on purpose, silly," Shigure said with a laugh.

"Alright then" Tohru said turning back to the soup.

Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure sat down at the table and grabbed a slice of toast from the plate Tohru had put out before.

"Tohru, what time is everyone coming," Yuki asked, looking up at Tohru.

"Between twelve thirty and one, as I recall," Tohru said, sitting down at the table,

"Why?"

"Well, I did want to go to the store so we can get snacks for the party," Yuki said, brushing toast crumbs off his shirt.

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot snacks," Tohru yelped.

"Well, you two can go to the store after breakfast and I'll clean up," Shigure said.

"Alright, I hope it's not too much to ask, but can you keep an eye on the food and don't take any," Tohru said, giggling at the thought of Shigure trying to taste the food.

"I'll make sure he doesn't eat any," Kyo said, gesturing at Shigure.

"Don't you trust me," Shigure whined.

"No," Yuki and Kyo said in unison.

"Toh-ruuuu! They're being mean," Shigure whined to her.

"Oh, you're too old to be a tattletale," Kyo said, bopping Shigure on the head.

Ten minutes later, Tohru and Yuki were on their way to the market, Shigure was cleaning up and humming Christmas carols, and Kyo was upstairs in his room, thinking about when he had been Tohru's boyfriend.

He reminisced....

They were in the park during the summer and Tohru was by the small pond in the middle of the park.

"Look, Kyo, it's so cute, isn't it," Tohru asked, pointing at a duckling that had waddled onshore.

"It's cute," Kyo had said.

He felt so open around Tohru. He could tell her anything that was on his mind and she opened up to him, too.

They were walking home from school, sharing Tohru's umbrella because Kyo had left his at home. Tohru was laughing at Kyo's hair and was attempting to fix it, only getting it in his eyes.

They were at the fair and Tohru was holding a stuffed toy that Kyo had won for her. She was laughing with him as they walked towards the Ferris wheel.

They were sitting on the roof, watching the sun set. Kyo had his arm around Tohru and Tohru had her head on his shoulder...

Kyo came back to Earth when he heard the front door open. He got off his bed and walked downstairs to offer his help.

Tohru and Yuki were standing in the front hall, covered in snow. Tohru shook her head back and forth to get all the snowflakes out of her hair.

"It's really cold out there," She said, taking her coat off and hanging it in the closet.

"Here, let me take those," Kyo said, picking three bags up off the floor in front of

Tohru and bringing them into the kitchen.

Tohru followed him in and placed two more bags on the table.

"We need to decorate," She said, unpacking streamers and plastic champagne glasses from one of the bags, "You can help me, Kyo!"

By twelve thirty, the house was almost unrecognizable. Garlands of silver and white streamers hung everywhere, holly leaves lined the staircase, and Tohru and Kyo had constructed a "tree" from the plastic champagne glasses in the corner of the living room. Tohru had also set out a magnificent buffet of appetizers, snacks, and drinks in the living room. Boxes were stacked neatly by the "tree" and the guests were due to arrive at any minute.

"I hope you know that you have guests spending the night in the house," Tohru said to Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki when they were all done decorating and cleaning.

"We do," Kyo asked.

"Yes! The girls, Uo, Hana, Kagura, and Kisa, will be staying in my room. Ayame and Hatori will be staying in Shigure's room. Hatsuharu and Ritsu will be staying with Kyo, and Momiji and Hiro will be staying with Yuki," Tohru said, ticking each person off on her fingers.

The doorbell rang.

"Oh yay! Someone's here," Tohru squealed as she bounded out of the room.

Tohru opened the front door to see Hana and Uo standing there.

"Hey guys! Happy Christmas," She said, hugging her two best friends.

"Happy Christmas, Tohru," Hana said.

"Yeah, Happy Christmas, kiddo," Uo said, patting Tohru on the head.

Uo and Hana took their coats off, hung them up, and plunked their bags down in the front hall.

"Thanks guys," Tohru said pulling away from her two best friends, "But I have a favor to ask you. Can you please not hug any of the guys? They aren't really hug people."

"Sure, besides, I'm sure that nobody will want to hug us, unless the blond one is here again," Uo said, chuckling.

"You mean Momiji," Tohru asked.

"Yes, he seems to like hugging people," Hana said.

"Let's go inside. I have snacks and drinks out," Tohru said, leading her best friends into the living room, where Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure were sitting.

"Hello everyone," Hana said, looking at the group.

"Hey guys, 'sup," Uo asked.

"Hi," Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki chorused.

"Are your bags in the front hall," Shigure asked, standing up.

"Yeah," Uo said, nodding.

"Let me bring those upstairs for you then," Shigure said, leaving the room.

They could hear him lugging Uo and Hana's bags up the stairs.

"You guys will be in my room along with Kagura and Kisa," Tohru said, breaking the silence.

"Kagura? Who's Kagura," Uo asked, looking around at the group.

"She's my cousin and she thinks that she's my girlfriend. She's a bit wacky. She'll beat you to death if she loves you," Kyo said grimly.

Uo laughed.

"Kisa? Isn't she the one who calls you 'sissy', Tohru," Hana asked, looking at Tohru with her head a bit to the side.

"Yeah, Kisa is like a little sister to me. I can't wait for you guys to meet her,"

Tohru squealed.

The doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Tohru said, running out of the living room.

She opened the front door and Hatori, Ayame, Kisa, Hiro, and Momiji filed into the front hallway.

"Happy Christmas, Tohru," Momiji said, smiling broadly.

"Happy Christmas, Sissy," Kisa said, hugging Tohru around the waist.

"Hey guys, Happy Christmas," Tohru said, patting Momiji on the head and hugging Kisa.

"Tohru," Ayame cried, "How wonderful to see you! Now where is my little brother?"

"He's in the living room," Tohru said pointing at the door behind her.

"Hey, Tohru, Happy Christmas," Hiro said.

"Happy Christmas to you, too, Hiro," Tohru said.

"Happy Christmas, Miss Honda," Hatori said, taking his coat off and hanging it in the closet.

Three more people appeared behind the group already congregated in the front hallway.

"Ritsu! Hatsuharu! Kagura! Hi," Tohru shouted, jumping up and down in an attempt to see them.

"Hey Tohru! Happy Christmas," Haru shouted.

"Tohru! Happy Christmas," Kagura shouted from next to Haru.

"I'm sooo sorry Tohru! Sooo sorry," Ritsu said, head in his hands.

Hana had come up behind Tohru.

"Who's the woman," She asked, looking at Ritsu.

"That's Ritsu, and Ritsu's a he, Hana-Chan."

"And the dark – haired one?"

"That's Kagura, the one Kyo told you about before."

"Ah."

Back in the living room, Ayame was embarrassing Yuki to death.

"Oh Little Yuki! You haven't changed much since I last saw you," Ayame exclaimed loudly, hugging his younger brother.

"You saw me two days ago, Ayame. Now will you please get off of me?"

"No, because you're my little brother and I'm glad!"

Yuki shoved Ayame back down onto the couch and walked out to the foyer to join Tohru.

"Hi Tohru," He said, coming up behind her and hugging her.

"Hey Yuki," She said turning around to face him.

He pulled her closer and swung back and forth with her in his arms.

"Hey, Tohru, where's Kyo," Kagura asked, peering intently around the front hall as though hoping to see him.

"He's...umm...in the living room," Tohru said uncertainly.

Meanwhile, in the living room...

"This is Uo, my girlfriend," Kyo said, to Momiji.

"Hey, Tohru, where's Kyo," Kagura's voice drifted in from the hall.

"Oh shit, we have to hide," Kyo said, grabbing Uo's hand and pulling her up the stairs.

They ran into his room and he closed the door behind them.

"Why are we hiding," Uo asked, looking confused.

"One word. Kagura," Kyo said grimly, plopping down on his bed.

Uo sat down next to him. It was very familiar to Kyo by now. She put his hand on his as they heard thudding on the stairs.

"Kyo-chaaannnn!!! Where are you," Kagura whined from the hall.

"You should hug me," Kyo whispered to Uo.

"What," She mouthed at him.

"Hug me."

She did, and whit a gigantic poof, Kyo the cat sat next to her on the bed.

The door opened and a tall girl with dark hair and a wildly swinging cat backpack hurried in.

"Oh Kyo, I knew," she started.

"Hi! I'm Arisa Uotani, and you must be Kagura Sohma," Uo said, trying to smile as best she could to comfort the girl.

"Hi," Kagura said, staring at Kyo, who had just climbed into Uo's lap.

"Kagura," Kyo growled dangerously.

"Kyo, but, but, why?"

"Kagura, you're my cousin, I'm not in love with you, I love Uo."

Kagura's lip trembled and she sniffed.

"Gonna transform," Kyo said, climbing back under his clothes.

Uo and Kagura covered their eyes with their hands. There was a gigantic poof and a cloud of smoke filled the room. Kyo redressed hastily and sat back down next to Uo.

"Kagura," he began.

"No Kyo, I don't want to hear it," she said.

She burst into tears and ran from the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Did I do something wrong," Uo asked, confused.

"No, of course not," Kyo said, putting his head on her shoulder and sighing.

Kagura was running down the stairs, tears in her eyes, and angry thoughts whirring through her head. She ran through the living room and into Shigure's office, shutting the door behind her. She heard footsteps outside the office.

"Kagura," she heard Tohru's voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in, Tohru," she said, drying her face off on her sweater.

Tohru walked in, closing the door behind her,

"What's wrong," she asked, sitting down next to Kagura.

"Kyo, he he," she began.

"Yes," Tohru said, putting a hand on Kagura's shoulder.

"He loves someone else," Kagura said, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Tohru went and fetched a box of tissues from Shigure's desk and sat back down next to Kagura, holding the box out for the crying girl.

"Th...th...Thanks," Kagura said through muffled sobs.

She pulled a tissue out of the box and blew her nose on it.

"I'm sorry; Kagura," Tohru began, "But I don't know what I can do to help."

"Oh, it's alright, no big deal," Kagura started, "I just want Kyo-kun to be happy."

---

An hour later, when the large group had been fed, it was time for present opening.

"Oh Tohru! Open mine first," Momiji cried, shoving a rectangular box covered in bunny rabbit paper under her nose.

Tohru took the box from Momiji and opened it.

She pushed aside a massive amount of tissue paper to reveal a pink photo album. She opened it. As she flipped through it she saw pictures of all the Sohmas, herself, and her friends. At the end, there was a picture of all the Sohmas grouped around the front gates with; she didn't believe it, Akito.

"Thank you so much Momiji," She cried, smiling broadly.

"So you like it then," the blonde haired boy asked.

"Oh yes," Tohru squealed, hugging the album to her chest.

Shigure, who was passing out the gifts to the group, paused as he reached Tohru.

"And these, "he said, plopping a large pile of boxes down next to her, "Are for you."

Tohru unwrapped the top box, which was from Yuki, to find new gardening gloves, a hat, and ribbons with her name embroidered on the ends.

"Aww Yuki! Thank you sooo much," Tohru squealed, hugging Yuki, who was sitting next to her.

"You're welcome, Tohru," he whispered in her ear.

By the time Tohru had finished unwrapping the pile of gifts, she was practically covered in wrapping paper.

Yuki smiled and picked it off Tohru in piles, revealing her smiling face.

(A/N: Fluff scene!!)

---

Later that night, Tohru walked down to the kitchen to get a glass of water and found Yuki sitting at the kitchen table.

"What's wrong, Yuki," she asked, bending over and looking into the refrigerator.

"Huh? Oh Tohru, it's only you. Nothing's wrong, "Yuki said, sighing. 

"Really," Tohru asked, sitting down next to Yuki, "You can tell me anything, you know."

"Well," Yuki sighed, "Um. Was I too fast in asking you to marry me?"

Tohru considered before saying,

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Tohru paused, not wanting to sound rude , "Yes because we've been going out for less than a week, but no because I love you so much that I want to marry you."

"I love you so much," Yuki said, turning to face Tohru.

Tohru turned to face Yuki. He cupped her face in his hands and brought it closer to himself.

"I really, really, love you," Tohru whispered.

They kissed passionately, Yuki hugging Tohru closer to himself. Tohru put her arms around his neck. Yuki picked Tohru up, stood up, and carried her into the living room.

They sat down on the couch.

Tohru put her head on Yuki's shoulder. They watched the snow fly past the window. Then, Tohru snuggling into Yuki's shoulder fell asleep.

---

Monday morning dawned, cold and white. Tohru got up early. She wondered why she had slept on the couch, and then noticing Yuki, realized that they had both slept there. She stood up and walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

The house guests stumbled in one by one as Tohru was serving pancakes. When Tohru had sat down, she noticed that Kyo and Uo were missing from the group.

"I'll be right back," Tohru said to Yuki, standing up.

"Alright," Yuki said, looking at Tohru with a smile on his face.

Tohru walked upstairs and peered into all the bedrooms. When she had finally reached Kyo's room, she cautiously opened the door. She tiptoed inside and saw Uo lying on Kyo's bed, hugging an orange cat to her chest. Tohru smiled and walked back downstairs.

---

One hour later, Tohru stood on the porch, waving at the group of Sohmas heading away from the house.

Back in the living room, Kyo and Uo sat on the couch, watching Hana have a staring contest with Shigure.

"Should I go and make Shigure lose," Kyo whispered to Uo, who began to giggle.

"Yeah! That would be sooo funny," Uo said, smiling.

Kyo stood up and walked up behind Shigure. Uo gave him the thumbs-up and Kyo shouted,

"Hey Shigure! Ayame's back!"

"AYA? Where," Shigure said excitedly, turning to face Kyo, a look of utter glee on his face.

Kyo and Uo were both laughing hysterically at the look on Shigure's face. Hana continued to stare, until,

"You lose, Shigure," she said, dark eyes widening madly.

Yuki walked in, and noticing the group, Kyo and Uo laughing hysterically, Hana staring madly, and the disappointed look on Shigure's face, turned, saying,

"I don't think I want to know."

Yuki walked into the hallway just as Tohru closed the font door.

"Hi Tohru," Yuki said, walking over and hugging his girlfriend.

"Hey Yuki, do you feel like going to visit Mom with me," she asked, turning to face him.

"Did you say you were going to visit Kyoko-kun," Uo asked from the doorway to the living room.

"Yeah, I wanted to wish her a Happy Christmas and bring her flowers," Tohru said, smiling.

"I'll come if you're going to visit her," Hana said from behind Uo.

"What about you, Yuki," Tohru asked, looking at Yuki.

"I'll come and say hi to your mother," Yuki said, smiling calmly.

"You said you were going to visit Tohru's mother," Kyo asked, "If you are, I'd like to come."

"Sure! Why don't we all go," Tohru said, "The more, the merrier, right?"

So, the group set off, first to buy lowers, then visit Kyoko-kun's grave.

When they arrived at the cemetery, they noticed that the snow had been cleared from the graves.

They walked over to Kyoko's spot and knelt down before it.

"Happy Christmas, Mom," Tohru said, smiling up at the headstone.

She placed the bouquet of white lilies on the grave and stood up, allowing the others to pay their respects.

When they had all finished, Tohru suggested that they grab a quick lunch at a nearby café.

When they had finished eating lunch, the group walked back to Shigure's house so Uo and Hana could get their bags and head home.

A/N: Yay for cliffhangers! See you in chapter 9.


	9. Chapter 9: Questions, questions, questi...

Chapter 9: Questions, questions, questions.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does, and without Takaya-sensei's creation of these characters, this story wouldn't exist!

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in, like, a month, but school started :grumbles: and my workload went up. Meh, so here you are!

---

When Uo and Hana had said their goodbyes to the group, Kyo planting a kiss firmly on Uo's lips, and left the house, Yuki walked into the living room to watch TV and Kyo dragged Tohru upstairs to talk.

Kyo shut the door to his room and flopped down on his bed, motioning for Tohru to do the same. Tohru perched on the edge of the futon, and gave Kyo a quizzical look.

"Tohru," Kyo began.

"Yes, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked, flashing him one of her trademark smiles.

"Am I doing the right thing?"

"Eh?"

"By going out with Uo?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, to tell the truth, I still feel guilty about breaking up with you."

"Don't, besides, I still have some feelings for you, but I think of you as a brother and Yuki, well, I have different feelings for him. I love him, Kyo-kun, you have to understand this, I think you're both very special, and if something were to happen to either of you, well, I don't know what I'd do."

"You're the best. I don't know what the Sohma family would do without you," Kyo said, hanging his head.

"Thanks, Kyo-kun," Tohru bowed.

Then she stood up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Kyo lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. The desire to call Uo and do something coursed through his veins. This puzzled him. Why on Earth did he want to see her again, when he had just spent the night with her? Figuring this was just another impulse; he rolled over and picked up his telephone, punching Uo's number into it. It rang twice before Uo picked up.

"Uotani residence, Arisa speaking," she said.

"Hey Yankee, you wanna go see a movie tonight?" Kyo inquired.

"Yeah, sure, what time?"

"I was thinking," Kyo started.

"You were thinking? Oh wow! What a change," Uo teased.

"Whatever," Kyo shrugged it off, determined to keep his temper with Uo, and continued," does 8 work for you? Then we could go get a coffee if you like."

"8 works for me. So are we meeting at the theater or should I come over?"

"Why don't you come here? You haven't been to this house in about forty-five minutes. Nah, why don't we meet at the Tagashi street Theater?"

"That sounds like a plan."

"See you there, then."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

He rolled over and hung the phone up, checking the alarm clock as he did. 12:45. He set the wake up time to four and flopped back over on the mattress. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Tohru and Yuki were downstairs watching TV.

"Where's Shigure? I haven't seen him since we left this morning," Tohru said, concern lacing her voice.

"Mii probably kidnapped him, sat him down in her office, taped him to her chair, and forced him to write, but not to worry, he'll probably come home sooner or later," Yuki replied, a small laugh escaping his lips as he did.

"That reminds me," Tohru started," I need to go shopping for dinner today."

"Would you like me to help you?" Yuki queried concern in his voice.

"You know I could never do it without your help."

--Meanwhile--

"Miichan, you can't keep me here forever, you know," Shigure said, tapping his pen on Mii's desk.

"You sent me pieces of cardboard that were labeled as your manuscripts," Mii shouted, pulling Shigure back by the hair, causing him to scream like a girl.

"Ok, ok, here, as my Christmas gift to you, I'll write," Shigure said, beginning a sentence on the piece of paper in front of him.

--Back to Yuki and Tohru--

"And that's it," Tohru said, throwing the last item on her list into the plastic basket she was holding with her left hand.

Yuki's hand tightened on her right hand and she smiled up at him, he smiled back, eyes sparkling.

When Tohru and Yuki had checked out and were walking home, Yuki paused outside a flower shop and told Tohru to wait for a minute. He walked inside while Tohru stared at the snow, which was now coming down in squalls. It wasn't until Yuki took her hand again that she noticed she was in the way of a large group of tourists. She stepped aside with Yuki and let them past, apologizing furiously.

"I got these," Yuki said, bringing his right hand out from behind his back," for you."

Yuki held out a dozen yellow-tipped roses to Tohru.

"Oh, Yuki, they're beautiful," Tohru sighed, taking the paper wrapped flowers from Yuki and putting them up to her nose," They remind me of spring."

"I'm glad you like them," Yuki smiled.

When they arrived home fifteen minutes later, they found an empty house.

"Kyo-kun? Shigure-san? Are you home?" Tohru called up the stairs.

"I think Kyo is asleep and, look, a message," Yuki said, pressing the 'play' button on the white answering machine next to the door.

"This is Shigure and I'm just calling to say that Miichan's kidnapped me to write, so I won't be home until tomorrow, so don't worry Tohru-kun! I'll be okay," Shigure's obnoxious voice echoed through the hallway.

"Well, that solves the mystery of the disappearing Shigure," Yuki chuckled.

-- After dinner--

Kyo pulled on his dark red parka and orange hat.

"I'll see you two later," he shouted into the living room where Tohru and Yuki were watching TV.

"Have fun," Tohru smiled.

"Don't do anything nasty to Uotani-san, Kyon," Yuki winked.

Kyo gritted his teeth and walked out the front door.

-- Back to Shigure-san--

"Well, Miichan, there you are," Shigure said, as he plopped a heavy stack of papers onto Mii's desk.

"THANK YOU SENSEI," Miichan shouted.

Shigure pulled his fingers out of his ears and smiled at her, "No problem, anything for my wonderful editor who I'm going to ask," he paused.

"Ask me what?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Shigure said, waving his hand.

"TELL ME SENSEI!!!"

"Well, um," Shigure tugged at his collar and sweated, "Um, do, um, you love me?"

There was stiffness in the air that even a freshly ironed kimono couldn't describe.

Mii stared at Shigure, open-mouthed.

"Umm," Shigure said, breaking the silence, and before he knew it, Mii had hit him so hard that it knocked him backwards onto a chair.

"I DO LOVE YOU SENSEI," she screamed, so that Shigure had to stick his fingers into his ears once more.

"Even when I miss my deadlines?"

"We'll discuss that."

"Yay," Shigure yelped, now jumping Miichan and knocking her back onto her desk.

--At the Movies--

Kyo held Uo's hand as they walked into the movie theatre.

They had chosen to see the new kick-ass martial arts movie instead of the girly, frilly one.

SUSPENSE! What will happen at the movies? What will happen between Shigure and Miichan? What are Yuki and Tohru doing for New Year's?

THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE WILL BE ANSWERED IN CHAPTER TEN OF Love, Yuki. Love, Kyo. 


End file.
